


Take My Hat (Take My Whole Life, Too)

by lasersheith



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fraternity, Fake Dating, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Humor, M/M, background allurance, cw alcohol, dramatic nonconfession smooch, everyone knows they're dating except them, minor background griffkade, pining shiro, sappy dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:40:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21798481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasersheith/pseuds/lasersheith
Summary: Shiro’s childhood friend, Allura, is marrying his old fraternity brother, Lance. He’s beyond thrilled to attend their big day, especially with his long-time partially-secret crush and best friend, Keith. Between Allura’s scheming and a few honest misunderstandings, everyone at the wedding assumes Shiro and Keith are a couple. Shiro can hold it together for one night… can’t he?“I really screwed up,” Keith said, voice shaking.Shiro huffed out a nervous chuckle. “Funny, I was about to say the same thing.”“Right…” Keith trailed off, letting his eyes sink down to the ground.Something shifted in the air between them and Shiro got the unfortunate sinking sensation that if he failed to act right at that moment, the opportunity would pass him by and he’d regret it forever. Alcohol still thrummed in his veins, dulling his normally sharp mind.The music was muted, but he could still hear it softly wafting in through the cracked windows and closed doors. An idea struck him as his brain frantically tried to think of something anything to say.“Keith, will you dance with me?”
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 147
Collections: Sheith Reverse Big Bang 2019





	Take My Hat (Take My Whole Life, Too)

**Author's Note:**

> Shoutout to my amazing artist for being so much fun to work with (and helping me finally figure out a title)! You can find Nasi on twitter [here](https://twitter.com/nasigorengart)! Also shoutout to Michelle GalraFloof for checking over everything on such short notice!! Also, all of my love to Christina for always listening to me whine while I'm writing <3 Thanks so much to the reverse big bang mod team for being so accommodating and awesome!

Shiro’s alarm went off at 8:00 like it always did on Saturday morning. He slapped at his phone until the ringing and buzzing stopped, taking a minute to rub the sleep from his eyes and gather his wits enough to wrench himself from the warmth of the covers. It was a surprisingly cool morning for the end of the summer, one of the first indications that fall was just around the corner. 

The black tuxedo hanging from his closet door brought a smile to Shiro’s face as he headed to his bathroom. He felt a little guilty for not waking up early enough to get his usual long run in for the day, but reasoned that he’d get plenty of exercise dancing at the wedding. While waiting for the shower to warm up, he grabbed his phone to text Allura.

“Today’s the day!” he typed, still grinning. “I can’t wait to see how awesome you look. 100% sure Lance is going to cry, if he’s not crying already.” 

It only took a few seconds for her to reply. “He’s already called me twice,” Allura replied with a series of laughing faces. “Can’t wait to see you and Keith there.” 

Shiro’s face flushed at the implication. He could picture the smirk on her face in perfect detail. Instead of replying, he tossed his phone on the counter and let the hot shower wake him up. 

He tried not to imagine Keith in his own tuxedo, at least not yet. It would be hard enough going to the wedding with Keith as friends and being next to him dressed to the nines all evening. 

Allura had teased him relentlessly for RSVPing same day with no plus one. He supposed she had earned that right, being one of his closest friends since pre-school. Still, it stung a bit and she had known it would, just as she knew precisely _why_ Shiro had not claimed a plus one for the evening. 

It all came back to Keith. 

Keith with his long, messy hair. The brilliant blue eyes that sparkled when he gave Shiro that special smile he never gave anyone else. Those heavenly legs that seemed to go on for miles. The sharp wit and fierce determination that had drawn Shiro in like a moth to a flame as soon as they’d met at Keith’s first rush event. 

Freshman year, Keith had been scrappy and hot-tempered, out to prove something to the world. Shiro had just been starting grad school then, already an old pro at the ways of their fraternity and college life in general, but Keith’s fire had reminded him so much of himself that he couldn’t help but take Keith under his wing. They had spent the better part of four years attached at the hip after that. 

Shiro had fallen hard for him after a few months, but he told himself Keith needed an older friend to guide him, to help calm him down, to set him on a better path. By the time Shiro realized that Keith no longer needed him in that way, their friendship had become far too important to Shiro to risk ruining things by trying to add romance to the picture. 

Allura, of course, had known all along. From the time Shiro introduced her to Keith, she’d been playfully asking when they were getting married. It seemed ironic to him that now she was the one preparing for her big day and he was still in the same spot. To his credit, he’d gotten his doctorate and upgraded from a cramped, smelly frathouse to a spacious, three bedroom apartment that he shared with his best friend, at least. 

Shiro stepped out of the shower and frowned into the foggy mirror as he toweled himself dry and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. Allura had told him not to be a coward and to bring Keith as his date, but of course Shiro had told her no, that they’d be going as friends, just like they did everything together, as friends. 

Allura hadn’t said anything else and must have taken his lack of a reply as a passive indictment of her teasing. That or she was busy getting ready for the wedding. Shiro sighed and pocketed his phone, not bothering to pull on a shirt or wipe the last of the droplets of water from his chest before heading into the kitchen. 

He was lost in thought as he shuffled past the living room into the kitchen. The coffee maker felt too complicated for his rattled brain, so he opted instead for a yogurt, hoping the sugar would drag him out of his fog. The clock on the microwave read 9:30 and Shiro wondered how he’d managed to spend so long in the shower as he slumped back the way he’d come. 

Shiro hadn’t heard the TV when he passed by the living room the first time. Keith normally wasn’t up so early on a Saturday, preferring to sleep in whenever he got the chance, but he’d clearly gotten up early today, Shiro realized as he finally noticed the quiet noises of whatever game Keith was playing. Watching Keith play video games was one of Shiro’s favorite relaxing activities; he was always too competitive to play without raising his blood pressure sky high, but watching Keith was soothing in a way that playing wasn’t. 

“Morning,” Keith mumbled, not taking his eyes away from the TV. Colorful explosions of light followed his character around the screen in sync with his thumbs dancing over the controller. 

Shiro almost dropped his yogurt as he let his gaze drift from the distraction of the game to Keith sitting on the couch. He was already in his tuxedo, the deep red fabric making his pale skin seem to glow. His black tie was undone, loosely hanging to either side of his crisp, white collar. Unruly black waves peeked out from the bottom of the black cap sitting backwards on top of his head. 

Snapping his jaw shut, Shiro cleared his throat and resettled his grip on the plastic container. It was going to be a long day. 

“You’re ready early,” he said, desperately trying to keep his voice from cracking. 

Keith shrugged, moving his body along with his controller, still not looking up at Shiro. “Didn’t wanna be late.” 

Shiro nodded, shoveling another spoonful into his suddenly dry mouth. If Keith noticed the awkward silence stretching between them, he didn’t show it. The round finally ended and he looked up, face blank apart from the slight hint of a flush dusting his cheeks as their eyes met. 

“You uh, you gonna… I mean, when you do you wanna leave?” Keith finally managed to mumble, tearing his gaze away from Shiro and back to the screen. 

Shiro couldn’t make sense of Keith’s reaction, but he chalked it up his pre-coffee brain not working at full speed yet. “Around 11? 11:30?” He suggested, doing his best to look anywhere but at Keith. 

“Cool,” Keith said, focus absorbed into the game once again. “Want me to drive?” 

“Oh, I figured you’d wanna drink. I can drive.” 

Keith laughed, glancing up from his game to offer Shiro a smirk. “You know Lance is gonna sneak a portable pong table in somehow. You gotta defend your crown!” 

“Well I can’t do that without my partner! You know I’m lost without you.” Shiro was immensely thankful for Keith’s shy smile but otherwise lack of reaction. He regretted not making that coffee. 

“Fine,” Keith finally said after a moment. “Lyft it is, then.” 

Shiro laughed and agreed, retreating back into the kitchen to start the coffee pot. 

Once he’d gotten his much-needed caffeine boost, Shiro retreated into his room. Allura texted a few more times as he got ready, spending entirely too much time on his hair. Stray tufts of his white bangs kept refusing to stay put, flying off to the sides at odd angles. He decided to take a picture and send it to Allura. 

“Hopefully your hair is coming along better than mine :/” 

“Hunk says he bets 100 dollars you’ll end up wearing whatever ugly hat you can’t talk Keith out of ruining his tux with within the first half hour of the reception.” 

Shiro cheeks flushed at the accusation. They’d been known to end up drunkenly trading hats during their frat party days, but surely they’d be more well-behaved at a wedding… wouldn’t they? 

It took far too long to come up with his short reply. “Low blow :(”

A soft knock at his door jarred Shiro away from Allura’s response. “It’s open.” 

Keith nudged the door just far enough to poke his head in. His eyes widened as he saw Shiro sitting on his bed. “Our ride should be here in a couple minutes. You, uh, you ready?” 

Shiro nodded, standing and stretching before stepping into his shoes. As he knelt to tie them, he looked up at Keith to make a joke and noticed his face was red again. Concern flared in his chest. 

“Are you okay? Your face has been kind of red all morning, you don’t have a fever do you?” Shiro asked, quickly standing up and walking closer to the door. 

Keith took a step back, leaving the door cracked a few inches. “Yeah,” he stammered. “I mean, no. I’m fine.” 

Shiro cocked an eyebrow, not convinced but knowing better than to push. “As long as you’re sure.” 

“Yeah,” Keith replied too quickly. “Anyway, our ride should be here soon.” 

Shiro nodded and finished tying his shoes. He stuffed his phone in his pocket and turned back to smile at Keith. “Thanks again for going with me, I know weddings aren’t really your thing.” 

The concerned edge to Keith’s expression melted into the small, soft smile that always made Shiro’s heart feel as though it were about to burst. “Course. Couldn’t just leave you hanging.” 

“You’re a really great friend, Keith. I’m really glad to have you.” Shiro wished more than anything he could muster up the courage to say what he really meant, but hoped the sentiment was close enough. 

Keith looked away, half turning back through the door frame. “Yeah, you too.” His voice was so quiet Shiro almost couldn’t hear him. “Gonna go grab our gift, meet you out front.” 

Shiro followed him after adjusting his red tie one last time in the mirror. After a few minutes of awkwardly waiting on the sidewalk for their ride, they were off to the wedding. 

* * *

The venue was beautiful. It wasn’t surprising; Lance and Allura were known for being a stylish couple and with Coran and Hunk helping with decorations, it wouldn’t have looked out of place on the glossy pages of a magazine. Everything was elegant but modern, in a gorgeous rose gold and pale blue color scheme. Twinkling white fairy lights wrapped around the porch, leading guests to the back of the large, lakeside estate. 

Shiro and Keith made it to the edge of the perfectly manicured backyard to see rows and rows of folding chairs arranged in front of the altar. A hand-painted wooden sign stood behind the last row of chairs, several different scripts of scrawling letters in blue, pink, and gold read: _pick a seat either side you’re loved by both the groom and bride._

“Wow I can’t believe Lance talked Allura into that,” Shiro said with a grimace. 

At the exact same time, Keith deadpanned, “Wow Lance is such a sap.” 

They turned toward each other, already laughing at the shared sentiment. A pang of longing fondness clawed at Shiro’s chest and he couldn’t bite down the urge to wrap his arm around Keith’s back, squeezing lightly at his shoulder. Keith looked up at him, still working to contain the last vestiges of laughter, but Shiro’s grin set both of them off again. 

“Well I’m glad you two are already having such a good time,” a friendly voice light-heartedly chastised.

They both coughed out the remainder of their mirth and turned towards Romelle, suddenly standing next to them in her elegant bride’s maid dress, blonde hair braided and glistening in the afternoon sunlight. She held a clipboard in the hand not resting on her hip, and her stern expression was spoiled with the ghost of a smile. 

“Hey ‘Elle, you guys did great,” Keith murmured in half-apology, gesturing around them. 

Shiro nodded and didn’t miss the way Romelle’s eyes strayed to his hand, still resting on Keith’s shoulder. Keith didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he didn’t seem to mind. 

“Yeah,” Shiro stammered. “It’s really gorgeous out here.” 

Romelle’s smile blossomed, full of pride and joy. “It was _not_ easy, let me tell you. Coran had some wild ideas, but Hunk reined him in. It’s been an exhausting morning!”

The three of them laughed together for a moment before Keith glanced to Shiro and then back to Romelle. “Well if you need any help, just let us know.” 

Heat swelled into Shiro’s cheeks at the conspiratorial look in Romelle’s eyes. He knew that look well, and it had only ever meant trouble. 

“Just go get a drink and try to find Allura’s parents. They’re causing all sorts of trouble,” she stage-whispered, holding up her keyboard to shield her mouth from where Melenor and Alfor were sitting quietly in the front row of chairs. 

Keith raised an eyebrow. “Look pretty harmless to me…” 

“That’s how they get you!” Romelle wailed, tossing an arm over her eyes. “Anyway, go, shoo.” She fanned at them with her clipboard. 

Shiro reluctantly let go of Keith’s shoulder and followed as Keith led them down the aisle. Melenor noticed as they approached and grinned, waving them over. 

“Oh don’t you two look lovely,” she gushed. “And you even match, that’s so sweet.” 

Shiro felt the blood rush to his cheeks as he realized that with Keith’s red tuxedo and black hat, tie, and shoes along with his own black tux with a red tie, they had inadvertently coordinated. Keith’s smile stiffened along with his shoulders, and his discomfort only amplified Shiro’s, but Melenor didn’t seem to notice. 

“I was absolutely thrilled when Allura told us that you’d finally moved in together. Long overdue if you ask me,” she said with a knowing wink.

Alfor chuckled and Shiro hoped that maybe he would save all of them from the uncomfortable situation, but those hopes were short-lived. 

“You’re embarrassing them, love,” he gently teased in a stage whisper before turning back to Shiro and Keith. “You do look quite sharp, though, gents. Quite a striking couple.” 

Shiro’s stomach dropped to the floor as the awkward silence stretched onward. The thought of having to pretend he didn’t have feelings for Keith and explaining that they weren’t actually together and were attending the wedding as friends was as mortifying as it was tragic. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything. 

Keith finally spoke up, quietly breaking the uncomfortable air with a nervous chuckle. “Thank you.” 

Shiro couldn’t believe his ears and he blinked a few times in surprise as the words sunk in. Alfor and Melenor smiled fondly at them and Melenor even reached out to pat Shiro’s cheek. 

“Oh Shiro, I remember when you were just a boy. All gangly limbs and braces and you were dating that utter bore of a mathlete, what was his name? Ashton? Aaron?” Melenor tapped her chin as the name sat on the tip of her tongue. 

Keith could barely contain a snicker as Shiro’s face grew even redder. He could have sworn his tongue was tied in a knot. 

“Stop teasing them, Melly, you’re doing it on purpose now.” Alfor shook his head and laughed, pulling his wife into a hug. 

“Well his name isn’t important, you’ve clearly done much better for yourself now, dear,” Melenor said as she tried to wriggle out of Alfor’s embrace. 

The words didn’t consult Shiro’s conscious mind before they left his mouth. “I definitely have.” 

He tried to gauge Keith’s reaction out of the corner of his eye, but couldn’t bring himself to turn his face, focusing instead on Melenor’s lightly-taunting praise. Keith’s eyes were wide and full and he looked like he was on the verge of saying something but nothing came out. Shiro didn’t dare move, pretending to be engrossed in whatever small talk Alfor had thankfully shifted the conversation to. 

Before too long, Romelle returned with her clipboard and ushered Alfor and Melenor back inside to prepare for the ceremony to begin. Shiro’s heart began to race as Allura’s parents departed and he knew he would have to talk to Keith about what they’d assumed. He tried to turn as casually as possible to face Keith, but his body moved in fits and starts. The tips of his ears felt hot and Shiro knew they could only be bright red. 

Keith raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment on Shiro’s obvious distress. “So… guess Allura didn’t tell them we were here as friends,” he murmured nonchalantly. 

“Yeah,” Shiro croaked through his suddenly dry mouth. Clearing his throat didn’t seem to help. 

Keith shrugged and worked his jaw like he had something more to say, but nothing came out for a long, nerve wracking moment. “Wanna go sit with Ryan?”

  
Shiro deflated for the blink of an eye but forced a smile onto his face. “Sounds good.” 

Keith led the way down the rows of chairs to the boisterous group that had taken over the middle section of one side of the aisle. Ryan saw them and smiled warmly as they approached, waving them into the big group, the rest of them sitting at rapt attention for one of Matt’s more ridiculous stories. Keith greeted him with the fraternity’s handshake and made room for Shiro to do the same. 

“Long time no see, guys!” Ryan said, smile still shining. He waved a hand back and forth at Shiro’s tie and Keith’s hat. “I told Jamie we should do that and he said it was lame! We gotta give him crap about it later.” 

Shiro was sure his ears and cheeks would permanently match his tie if he kept blushing as much as he had been. A hush fell over the crowd and Shiro could feel Matt’s bulging eyes boring a hole into his face.

Ryan saw his discomfort immediately and his smile fell. “Sorry, I assumed y-” 

“Couples matching isn’t lame. Griffin’s the lame one,” Keith interjected, crossing his arms with a scowl. 

The silence shattered into a cacophony of excited questions and congratulations. Shiro wanted to sink through the grass and be swallowed by the earth equally as much as he wanted to deserve all of the attention because it would mean he was really dating Keith. 

He risked a glance at Keith and if his expression was anything to go by, he had just realized the implications of his retort. Somehow feeling Shiro’s gaze on him, he turned ever so slightly until their eyes met. They didn’t need to have the conversation with words, the understanding of the unfathomably large can of worms they’d just opened dawned on both of them with that one look. 

Matt shoved through the small throng and grabbed Shiro by the biceps, attempting to shake him but only succeeding in rocking himself back and forth. “YOU DIDN’T TELL ME FIRST? HOW COULD YOU?” He bellowed. “I’ve been trying to get you nerds to bump uglies for YEARS! How did this happen? Tell me everything right now.” 

Shiro had no proof that what he was feeling was exactly the same as if his brain had spontaneously liquified and begun to dribble out of his ears, but he was completely certain nonetheless. 

Keith spoke up, saving Shiro the seemingly impossible effort of stringing together a coherent thought at the moment. “Whatever, it’s not a big deal. We moved in together over the summer and it just kind of… happened. Don’t make it weird.” 

Matt’s jaw fell and then snapped shut with an audible click. “I don’t buy it. I need deets.” 

His eyes met Shiro’s and he blurted out the first thought that entered his mind. “I need a drink.” 

“Yes!” Matt snapped his fingers and pointed far too close to Shiro’s face. “Don’t think this gets you off the hook. I _will_ get those deets.” 

Matt pointed back and forth between Shiro and Keith before leaping over the back of a chair and scampering off towards the parking lot. 

No one spoke for a long, uncomfortable moment before Ryan finally cleared his throat and commented about the amazing snack table, drawing the group back into a flurry of conversation. Shiro still felt like the ground was spinning too fast under his feet and wasn’t sure what had even happened. What had at first seemed to be an innocent misunderstanding had quickly spiralled so far out of his control he didn’t know which way was up. 

Keith sidled up next to him and gently rested his hand on Shiro’s shoulder. “You okay?” He whispered. 

Shiro snapped his head to the side to meet Keith’s eyes. Guilt was swimming in those endless indigo depths, but Shiro could have sworn he also saw hope there. But hope for what? 

“Uh, yeah. Definitely.” He plastered a smile onto his face but it quickly melted into something approaching genuine at the hint of relief his words brought to Keith’s stiff posture. 

They looked into each other’s eyes, letting the rest of the conversations buzz around them. The grass seemed sturdier underneath Shiro’s feet and a warm swell built in his chest. Keith’s cheeks tinged a faint pink and he dropped his hand back to his side. 

“Sorry,” he murmured so quietly only Shiro could hear. “Seemed easier than explaining.” 

“It’s fine,” Shiro found himself saying, and meaning, without a second thought. “At least people won’t spend the whole reception asking when we’ll finally get together like at graduation.” 

Keith agreed with a soft laugh and Shiro couldn’t fight back the urge to throw his arm around Keith’s shoulders to pull him in for a one-armed hug. It felt like a needless indulgence, but as long as they were pretending anyway Shiro could justify it to himself. 

For his part, Keith didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. He leaned his head against Shiro’s chin and snaked his arm around his waist to rest just above his hip. The solid weight of Keith’s hand resting there so naturally had butterflies erupting in Shiro’s stomach. 

Matt returned a few minutes later with a 20 pack of the vile, cheap beer that had featured heavily at every fraternity event and most regular Friday nights of Shiro’s graduate student career. He popped open the cardboard flaps at one end and distributed a can to each brother in their small crowd, setting the nearly-empty box underneath the chair he’d claimed.

Holding his can aloft, fingers ready to pull the flimsy aluminum tab, Matt cleared his throat excessively loudly to garner everyone’s attention. “To Lance, the luckiest bastard of us all. May Allura never realize she’s way out of his league!”

Several bouts of laughter and cries of _here, here!_ preceded the mass pop and fizz of more than a dozen cans of watered down booze as everyone chugged his beer in record time. Shiro was prepared to remind the throng of men barely six months out from senior year and the heights of their wild partying days that belching contests were strictly prohibited at weddings, but he was pleasantly surprised by the amount of restraint everyone showed. Ryan had even come prepared with a trash bag, passing it around so everyone could put their cans inside and not leave a mess. 

“Wow, I spent four years trying to get you animals to clean up the house! What happened?” Shiro asked with an incredulous laugh. 

“Our big boy roommates aren’t as nice as you,” Matt replied with a shit-eating grin. 

Shiro rolled his eyes. “Funny how Keith somehow always knew to clean his room before things started _growing_ in it.” 

Shiro regretted the comparison as soon as he saw the evil gleam in Matt’s eyes. “Yeah? Is that what made you fall in love with him? His tidiness?” 

Before Shiro could think of anything approaching a clever comeback, Keith stepped in. “That and my third leg.” 

The blunt, deadpan reply had the entire group erupting in laughter. All of them except for Shiro. He slowly turned his head to Keith with wide eyes and crimson cheeks. Keith looked up at him with a guilty smile and mouthed _sorry._

“God I can’t believe Shiro is a size queen, so many things just started making sense,” Matt wheezed out in between fits of giggles. 

Shiro snapped his head back to Matt. “Did you forget how easy it is to stuff you inside a pull out couch?” 

The threat only served to make Matt laugh harder. 

“Almost as easy as it is to get you stuck in a smedium t-shirt?” Matt retorted, hardly able to finish his sentence through his wheezes of laughter. 

Before Shiro could reply with something equally as quippy, the soft sounds of a piano filtered in from the speakers along the rows of chairs. Nearly all of the seats had been filled without Shiro having noticed. The music grew louder and the guests began to take their seats and quietly finish their conversations. 

Coran quietly approached the altar, looking entirely pristine in his white suit with his pink and blue checkered pocket square. The only things detracting from his image as the perfect officiant were his red eyes and slightly disheveled mustache. Shiro found it sweet that he was already overcome with emotion. 

Lance was escorted down the aisle by his mother, followed swiftly by the bridal party members behind them in pairs, branching off to either side of the aisle. Keith knocked his elbow into Shiro’s and ducked his head down to whisper. Shiro leaned in to hear. 

“You owe me 10 bucks,” he murmured nodding to where Pidge stood at Lance’s side. 

Shiro furrowed his brows for a moment before he realized what Keith meant and had to hold back a snicker. “Fair enough, I didn’t think she’d actually wear a dress.” 

Keith grinned and turned his attention back to the ceremony. Soon enough, the traditional Bridal March began to play and everyone stood. The large double doors at the back of the venue opened and Allura and Alfor began their slow walk down the aisle, arms linked. 

Both of their eyes were brimming with tears that glistened in the afternoon sun almost as brightly as their smiles. Shiro couldn’t help but smile when he saw how happy she looked. It was no surprise at all that Lance was openly gaping as Allura walked up, tears silently streaming down his face. Alfor kissed her cheek and took his seat next to his wife and Lance’s parents in the front row. 

Everyone was seated as Coran started the ceremony. Despite being known for his extravagantly long winded and embellished tales, he kept things quite short and tasteful. Hunk managed his man of honor duties with only a slight fumble of the bouquet when it came time to hand Allura Lance’s ring, but it was quickly forgotten in the sea of cooing as Lance struggled to keep his voice breaking through his vows. 

Shiro’s throat tightened just the slightest bit as Allura said her vows with an equally watery gaze and he almost gasped aloud as Keith’s hand landed on his knee. He cleared his throat to choke the surprised noise down and turned to look at Keith. 

Keith had twisted his hat to face the front, undoubtedly mussing his already unruly hair, and had his chin tucked to his chest, hiding underneath the flat brim. Shiro reached out and gently pulled the hat from his head with one hand while reaching down to squeeze Keith’s white knuckles with the other. Keith sniffled and let out a soft cough, looking up at Shiro with watery eyes and cheeks blazing with embarrassment. 

“Ceremony’s really nice,” Shiro whispered, giving his hand another squeeze before pulling Keith’s hat onto his own head and turning back to watch the bride and groom. 

Keith murmured something that might have been, “yeah,” but Shiro could barely hear it over the sounds of sniffles all around them. He didn’t let go of Keith’s hand until everyone stood to clap and cheer as the happy couple sealed their vows with a kiss. 

Everyone shuffled out shortly after the doors swung shut on the exiting bridal party and Shiro grabbed Keith’s hand to keep from losing him in the chaos. Their fingers threaded together and Shiro could feel his heart hammering against his rib cage as they made their way through the crowd. It was a small blessing that they’d somehow lost Matt in the chaos. 

As soon as they were in the large reception hall and had room to breathe again, Keith tugged his hand out of Shiro’s loose grip. A pang of loss hit Shiro’s gut at the sudden loss of contact. 

“Hungry?” Keith asked, turning to face Shiro and inclining his neck toward the rows of tables set up with hors d'oeuvres. 

He didn’t seem bothered by the predicament they’d gotten themselves into, so Shiro tried to shrug off his discomfort as well. His stomach grumbled and heat blossomed on his cheeks. 

“Take that a yes,” Keith said with a fond smile that had another round of butterflies erupting in Shiro’s stomach. “Be right back.” 

It felt silly to feel so alone in a room full of his closest friends and their families, but Shiro couldn’t shake the feeling as he tried not to let his eyes linger on Keith’s back when he walked away. Just as he’d decided that it was silly to wait there by himself and he should go join Keith in procuring their snacks, a throat clearing beside him got his attention. 

Shiro turned slowly and was met with James looking at him rather sternly, though Shiro wasn’t convinced he was capable of anything other than that same stern expression. He certainly hadn’t been at all jovial competing with Keith during their pledge class’s initiation period. Lance was also vying for the top pledge position and was pretty obnoxious about it, but it was mostly in good fun and had led to a deep friendship. Not so with Keith and James. Thankfully Matt was a wonderful pledgemaster even if he was a giant dweeb, so their fierce rivalry had only come to blows once. 

“Hey James, long time no see!” Shiro said with as much forced enthusiasm as he could muster. 

James nodded in greeting. “Glad you guys made it.” 

Shiro awkwardly nodded back. Usually he was exceptional at faking small talk but something about James’s posture was unnerving. 

“Where’d Ryan run off to?” He finally asked to break the half a minute of uncomfortable silence. 

James shrugged and nodded to the back door. “He’s helping with the pictures and checking on all the cameras he set up before the ceremony.” He cracked a rare smile. “Film majors, am I right?” 

Shiro laughed more at the unexpectedness of the joke than at James’s poor attempt at humor. “I’m glad he’s still doing what he loves.” 

“Yeah, me too.” 

They stood uncomfortably for another few moments before James cleared his throat again. “Anyway, I just wanted to say I’m happy for you and Keith. You guys make a really good couple.” 

Shiro felt his throat catch at the compliment and all he could do was nod. “Thanks, we uh,” he stammered and looked back to the table where Keith was just finishing carefully piling all of Shiro’s favorite foods onto one of the tiny plates. “We’re really happy.” 

James nodded curtly and slapped Shiro on the arm, muttering something that might have been “good,” before heading off in the opposite direction, presumably to avoid Keith’s imminent return. 

Shiro shook his head in confusion at the strange interaction but didn’t have time to ruminate on it further, as Keith shoved a plate full of delicious snacks under his nose. He grinned in gratitude and picked out a few off the top of the pile. 

“What did Griffin want?” Keith grumbled through a bite of a Hunk’s famous pigs-in-a-blanket. 

Shiro half-choked on the tiny sandwich wedge in his mouth before swallowing enough to answer. “To uh, congratulate us on our happy relationship.” 

Keith’s cheeks flushed and he swiped another morsel, shoving it into his mouth instead of replying. 

Shiro sighed. “This kind of turned into a mess.”

“It’s not that bad,” Keith said with a shrug, not meeting Shiro’s eyes. “Anyway, you want a drink?” 

Shiro desperately wanted a drink. Several drinks.

“You got the snacks, I’ll go grab us some beer,” he offered, handing the plate back to Keith. 

Keith took it wordlessly and Shiro headed to the bar, taking deep, slow breaths to calm his nerves before the alcohol could smooth the way for him. Blessedly, Allura and Lance knew their friends well and it was an open bar with several nice options, as well as all of their trashy college favorites. Shiro opted for two beers of slightly higher quality than the swill they chugged at the house, but not by much. 

By the time Shiro returned, Matt and Rolo had found Keith in the crowd and were trying to drag him off to mingle. Shiro rescued him temporarily, but the troublemakers returned with reinforcements and soon enough Keith and Shiro became the mingling epicenter. 

“Seriously though,” Matt slurred, already on an inadvisable amount of drinks for so early in the night. “The ceremony was so good! Coran nailed it!” 

A hearty round of agreement followed in various stages of drunkenness, but Matt’s next outburst was interrupted by Lance throwing one arm around Matt’s shoulder and the other around Keith’s. 

“What’s up nerds!? I’m freaking _married!”_ Lance shouted, wiggling his finger far too close to Keith’s face for comfort. 

“Oh is that why we’re here?” Keith grumbled, shrugging Lance’s arm off and pushing his face away. 

Lance slapped light-heartedly at Keith’s shoulder. “Oh shut up, I know you were real sappy about it!” 

Keith’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson and he opened his mouth to protest but Lance shoved his hand over Keith’s face before he could. “Hunk told me he saw you crying! Don’t even try to act tough!” 

A few snickers littered the circle and Keith growled low in his throat. Shiro rolled his eyes and stepped in between them. 

“In Keith’s defense, it was a very touching ceremony,” Shiro started diplomatically. His face melted into a sly smirk when he turned back to Lance. “Although you don’t have much room to talk, Lance. If I recall your bachelor party correctly, one of the two of you took two shots and then literally laid down on the bar sobbing because you missed your fiancee so much and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Keith.” 

Keith laughed along with the rest of the brothers who immediately began making fun of Lance instead of dogpiling on Keith, but he shot Shiro a grateful smile before joining in. 

After a bit more teasing, Coran announced over the ad hoc PA system that everyone should take their seats for toasts and dinner. Shiro was more than happy to sit down, thanking his lucky stars that Allura had placed him and Keith at the table with her cousins and close family friends. It had the double benefit of being closest to the bridal party table and quite far away from the designated “Lance’s fraternity brothers” table. 

After stumbling through a few awkward rounds of “this is my uh, this is Keith,” to the various other people at the table, Shiro was grateful to hear the tinkling of a spoon against a glass, sending the room into anticipatory silence. 

Hunk’s speech as Allura’s “man of honor” was as hilarious as it was tear-jerking. Originally Allura had wanted to offer the position to Shiro, but he had been too busy working on his dissertation and job hunting to be much help planning the wedding. She understood, of course, and Hunk was more than happy to stand in. Between his impeccable food choices and knack for style, he’d ended up helping more than Shiro could have dreamed of being.

As everyone was dabbing the tears from their eyes after Hunk’s speech, Pidge took the microphone and thoroughly yet lovingly dragged Lance so hard, everyone was crying again from laughter. Lance’s mother probably could have gone her entire life much more happily having never heard some of the stories Pidge regaled the crowd with, but she was an excellent sport about it and so was Lance. In the end, she begrudgingly admitted what a lovely couple they made and raised her glass to the two of them having many happy years together. 

Dinner went by quickly and with little conversation. The food was so heavenly that hardly anyone could bring themselves to put down their cutlery and talk. Lance and Allura cut the cake together after most of the guests were finished eating, and Shiro laughed along with the rest of the crowd when Allura shoved Lance’s piece into his face despite him having lovingly offered hers with the utmost care to not ruin her beautiful hair or makeup. 

Lance laughed along and tried to lick the icing off of his face until Allura grabbed him and scrubbed him clean with a napkin, but not before nipping some icing off the tip of his nose for herself. The whole room exploded in applause and laughter once again. 

After the guests got a crack at the cake (which was just as amazing as dinner had been, undoubtedly thanks to Hunk’s influence again), Coran announced the happy couple’s first dance and everyone watched, misty-eyed, as the bride and groom swayed along to their song and shared a few chaste kisses and whispered to each other. 

When they were finished dancing, the floor was opened up to everyone, though most were too full to leap at the opportunity just yet. Shiro and Keith were no exception, happy to sip their champagne and talk quietly with each other as Allura and Lance made the rounds thanking all of their guests for attending. 

Shiro stood and stretched as Allura and Lance made it to the table next to them. Keith raised an eyebrow but stood with him. 

“I give Allura about 4 seconds before she drags me onto the dance floor,” Shiro explained with a laugh. 

Keith winced and stuck out his tongue, downing the rest of his second glass of champagne. “Have fun with that.” 

Lance and Allura made their way through everyone else at the table before stopping in front of Shiro and Keith. Keith hugged Allura, softly congratulating her and lightly kissing her cheek before turning to Lance and offering him a playful punch on the shoulder. He squawked as Lance pulled him into a hug against his will.

Shiro laughed at their antics before hugging both of them and offering his sincere congratulations. They talked for a few minutes about how beautiful the ceremony was and what a great job they’d done decorating and complimenting Allura’s dress. 

Allura pulled at Shiro’s sleeve and her bright smile was contagious. “Don’t think flattery will get you out of a dance with me, Shirogane,” she teased. 

“The bride gets what the bride wants,” Shiro agreed, letting her tug him toward the dance floor. 

They both laughed as they heard a minor squabble break out between Keith and Lance. 

“Don’t care what day it is, I’m not dancing with you.” Keith’s tone was harsh but Shiro could hear the playful smirk on his face even though his back was to them. 

Lance scoffed loudly and Shiro was sure there was some light pushing as he responded, “No way! It’s _my_ wedding and _I’m_ not dancing with _you!”_

Shiro turned his head to check whether or not he needed to step in, but Allura tugged on his sleeve, dragging his arm to her waist. He mumbled an apology as he rested his hand on the small of her back and they began to sway together to the sweet, slow rhythm. 

“I see you’re wearing Keith’s hat,” she said with a conspiratorial smile. “And I heard a few interesting rumors while we were doing the pictures.” 

Shiro sighed and shook his head. “We were supposed to come here as _friends,”_ he muttered. “I blame Romelle for this. I don’t know how but I’m sure it’s her fault.” 

Allura laughed and spun them into a shallow dip. 

“Yes, I’m sure it’s Romelle’s fault that you still haven’t told him how you feel despite all the work I’ve done to set you up. And it’s also Romelle’s fault he was ever-so happy to play along.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. 

“He just didn’t want to spend all night dealing with nosy people,” Shiro grumbled. “And what work have you done to set us up? You basically told me I was a moron when we moved in together.” 

Allura’s smile brightened. “You are a moron,” she agreed cheerfully. 

They spun again and Allura twisted, letting the flared edges of her dress twirl before turning back in and standing close enough that no one could overhear their whispers. 

“And I only said that, and stand by it, because the two of you are so obviously, hopelessly in love and neither of you will do anything about it,” she said as they finished their spin. “I was hoping that once I planted the seed one of you would run with it, and I’m glad I was completely right.” 

Shiro’s cheeks flushed, partially in indignation but mostly in embarrassment. “We’re just friends. We’ve always just been friends.” 

Allura rolled her eyes. “Shiro, I’ve known you since you were seven. Don’t you dare lie right to my face on my wedding day.” 

“Fine,” Shiro grumbled. “But what if… what if he doesn’t feel the same way and I ruin everything by telling him?” 

He was surprised at his own candor and the way his voice shook when he spoke. Allura’s sympathetic smile did little to help. The only solace Shiro could find in the situation was that the song was nearly over, the last few drawn out notes coming to a close. 

“Do you remember when Lance took that turn from obnoxious to actually sweet his junior year and I started to have feelings for him?” She asked, stilling her feet but not letting Shiro’s arm or shoulder go so he couldn’t retreat. 

Shiro nodded, remembering fondly the summer Lance had spent finally doing some long-overdue growing up. He’d come back to school in the fall with his goofy, lighthearted personality still very much in tact, but his outbursts lessened in explosiveness and frequency and it was clear his internship had done a lot to reduce his insecurities. 

“I asked for your advice then and I still remember exactly what you said.” Allura moved her neck to keep Shiro from looking away from her, already knowing what she was going to say. _“You like him and you should tell him. Even if he doesn’t feel the same way anymore, it’s always better to know than to spend your whole life wondering what could have been.”_

The words hit harder than Shiro wanted to admit. “I hate it when you quote me to me,” he mumbled. 

Allura stood on her tiptoes and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “Then stop being so quotable. And so foolish.” It was an admonishment, but she said it so kindly Shiro somehow found it uplifting. 

She didn’t wait for him to respond before walking back the way they’d come, presumably to grab her husband for another dance. Shiro stood there as the next song started, quietly thinking about what Allura had told him. It was a harsh realization that she was right and he was being a moron.

Shiro resolved in that moment that he would tell Keith tomorrow when they were back in the privacy of their home and had finished nursing their hangovers. In the meantime, he headed back to the bar, intending to thoroughly earn said hangover. 

Thankfully the line for a drink was short and the bartender was both efficient and nonjudgmental. Shiro slammed back two shots and tried not to cough up a lung as the harsh stab of alcohol went down like a lead brick. The bartender poured him a glass of water to chase it down, followed by a vodka red bull which Shiro drank much more slowly. 

Hunk and Pidge were loitering nearby, drinking and having a spirited debate about what Shiro figured was either a video game system or some kind of phone. He hadn’t been able to catch up with them much during dinner, so he decided to interject. 

“I don’t know, can you download more cores? Seems like you should be able to.” It was hard to keep the smirk off his face at his friends’ groans of nerd anguish. 

Hunk recovered first after scrubbing his hand down his face. “The worst part is, you don’t even know why that’s so offensive.” 

“He knows exactly why,” Pidge countered, glaring at him threateningly. 

Shiro laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, retreating into his cocktail for a second to think. “I know just enough to know what’ll bother you guys. Can’t help it.” 

They both shook their heads but quickly moved on from the insult, using the opportunity to catch up after the long summer apart. The topic moved on to Pidge regaling Shiro with tales of the new tech startup they were both working for and all of the exciting things they got to work on every day. 

“And we heard a little rumor,” Hunk said as Pidge finished, elongating the last syllable in _rumor_ in a high singsong. 

Shiro had known someone (probably Romelle, somehow it was always Romelle) would have told them about the situation with him and Keith, but he was hoping they would be more tactful than to bring it up out of the blue. He should have known better. 

“I’m not much for gossip,” he replied, sipping at his drink again. Shiro could feel his cheeks flushing and knew he had the worst poker face of all time, but he told himself it was better to at least try. 

Pidge snorted out a laugh and slapped him on the arm. “I’m just impressed you guys finally worked it out! Took you long enough!”

Hunk nodded along enthusiastically. “All through college it was like,” he paused to clasp his hands up by his face, almost dumping his mostly-empty cup down the front of his tux. “Oh Shiro, you’re such a good brother. I’m- I mean, the fraternity is so lucky to have you.” His voice and the way he excessively batted his eyelashes was presumably an imitation of Keith, though Shiro didn’t see the resemblance. 

Pidge jumped at the opportunity to go along with the joke. “You’re the real treasure, Keith. I mean, of course for the frat. I-We treasure you... Bro.” 

Shiro groaned and slammed back the rest of his drink, crossing his arms over his chest with a loud, annoyed sigh. “Yeah, yeah, hilarious. You made your point.” 

“You thought this was a lot funnier when we were doing it to Lance,” Pidge pointed out. 

“That’s because it was. Anyway, who wants another drink?” Shiro hoped the lure of more alcohol would change the conversation topic. 

Unfortunately, as all too often happened in Shiro’s life, Matt utterly ruined his plan. 

“Why are you nerds hiding back here?” Matt said in Shiro’s direction, drunkenly slinging his arms around Pidge and Hunk. “Come join the party!”

A drunk Matt was far more formidable and twice as demanding as a sober Matt, and soon Shiro found himself being dragged back to the larger group. Matt at least had the decency to allow Shiro to refill his drink, but wasn’t so drunk that he let Shiro slink off by himself again. 

The group of former frat boys and sorority girls who tolerated them very much had taken up residence at a large table close to the dance floor, though very few of them were actually dancing. Shiro immediately beelined for Keith, the others hot on his heels. 

“Oh man,” Rolo was saying as Shiro approached, “and that time Matt put all the pledge’s underwear in the freezer!”

Everyone within earshot burst into uproarious laughter. 

“Thought Hunk was gonna kill him,” Keith said with a smirk, taking a long pull from his drink. 

Hunk crossed his arms in indignation. “Look, I love a good prank, but that’s where we kept _food._ You don’t put stuff that’s been on freshmen’s junk next to _food.”_

“You just have no appreciation for good humor,” Matt scoffed. 

“Oh yeah, not like _some_ people.” Hunk rolled his eyes. “Not like a person who thought it would be hilarious to break a pong table by dancing in nothing but a speedo and Yoda mask during the winter formal after party.” 

“Okay, but that was objectively hilarious,” Shiro said through a drunken giggle. “It was terrifying for like 30 seconds before we realized he was laughing in the pile of rubble and not dying.” 

Keith’s shoulders shook as he laughed along. “And we had to call Allura to check on him because she was DDing for tri delt and was the only person we knew who was sober enough to make sure he didn’t need stitches!”

Romelle cut into their circle and tugged on Hunk’s arm. “Enough reminiscing on the good old days! It’s time to dance!”

Hunk let himself be dragged away, and soon he and Romelle were lost on the crowded dance floor. Shiro’s heart started racing as more and more of his friends paired up and headed to join in the festivities and he turned to look at Keith, not sure what he was hoping to find. 

Not unexpectedly, Keith’s face looked like he’d just sucked on a lemon. Shiro had to laugh; Keith had always loved parties but was never fond of dancing. 

“I take it that means you wanna sit this one out?” Shiro asked with a grin, pulling up a chair to sit next to him. 

In truth he was grateful. As much as he would love to dance with Keith, under the circumstances and after his conversation with Allura, the thought was more than a little daunting. Sitting there enjoying his buzz and Keith’s company sounded much more enjoyable. 

Which is, of course, when Matt had to ruin things yet again. 

“Aw, Ryan even talked Griffin into dancing with him,” Matt cooed tauntingly. “Come on, Keith, are you really more of a stick in the mud than _Griffin?”_

Keith bristled and Shiro could swear the temperature in the room dropped a dozen degrees from the icy glare Keith shot Matt. “No, Griffin’s lame.” 

“Then you’re saying you want to join in the fun and dance with your boyfriend?” Matt goaded, ignoring Nadia pulling at his arm. 

Keith turned to look at Shiro and the fiery determination in his eyes let Shiro know that they were definitely going to dance. Maybe it would be fine, he tried to tell himself as Keith stood and offered his hand. Shiro of course took it and shakily stood to his feet, following as Keith led them to their ever-widening circle of dancing friends. 

Shiro always tried to look on the bright side of things, no matter how dire a situation seemed. At that moment, he was immeasurably grateful for having only one hand that could produce a frankly vile amount of nervous sweat. Keith took hold of his prosthetic and wrapped his other around Shiro’s shoulders. Even the knots doing anxious somersaults in his stomach couldn’t keep the smile off Shiro’s face as Keith wordlessly insisted on following him. 

They moved together to the cheesy song, each doing his best to ignore the jeering from the increasingly-drunk throng of their frat brothers egging them on as they danced with their own partners. Keith’s face was set in a mask of determination and Shiro could almost hear him counting out the beats as they danced. 

“Relax a little,” Shiro whispered with a quiet chuckle. “I feel like I’m dancing with a block of wood.” 

“Sorry,” Keith mumbled. “It’s weird with everyone watching like this.” 

Shiro twisted them, narrowly avoiding stomping on Keith’s feet as he moved the other way, putting himself between Keith and their irritating fanclub. “There. Now you can’t see them.” 

Keith laughed and shook his head. “Dr. Shirogane: Problem-solver PhD.” 

Shiro grinned at the joke and the way Keith immediately loosened up. They moved together more fluidly and swayed in time with the music. As the song went on and they found each other’s rhythm, they added in a few spins and twirls, doing their best to ignore the whoops and hollers from behind them. The song slowly began to fade and Shiro grinned, stepping forward to dip Keith down low. 

Keith let out a half gasp that turned into a laugh and he hooked his leg around Shiro’s as much for balance as to play along. His hair was a mess and his face was flushed from the alcohol and the exertion. Shiro was sure he’d never seen anyone more breathtaking. 

“Kiss him!” Matt’s drunken warble hit Shiro’s ears like a lightning bolt, but Keith didn’t seem to hear it. 

Following Matt’s stupid ideas had gotten him into a lot of trouble in school, but for some reason, Shiro couldn’t ever seem to stop himself. His eyes drifted down to Keith’s slightly parted lips and Shiro knew he might never get this chance again; tomorrow they’d more than likely go back to just being friends. In that moment, he decided he had to know what it felt like to kiss Keith, even if they were only pretending. 

He leaned in slowly, pausing just before their lips met. Shiro told himself it was to give Keith a chance to tell him no and not because he was afraid, but Keith leaned up and closed the gap between them before Shiro could let his doubts chase him away. 

Blood pounded in Shiro’s ears and he felt like his heart might explode. For some reason, he’d always assumed Keith’s lips would be chapped, but they were velvet smooth and pushed against his insistently. He nearly forgot where they were, letting the sensation of Keith’s leg still wrapped around his thigh and their arms wrapped around each other mingle and intertwine with the feeling of Keith’s tongue sliding into his mouth, drowning out any and all conscious thought. 

Keith’s leg slid down and they both shifted, noses bumping and teeth clacking painfully as they pulled apart. Their wide eyes met as they straightened from the awkward hunched position they’d been in for too long and Shiro felt the breath catch in his throat at the tortured look on Keith’s face. He reached out to put a hand on Keith’s shoulder, but Keith was already backing away. 

“Just need to,” he craned his head toward the door, “gonna go get some air.” 

Shiro nodded and tried to keep the heartbreak from coloring his face as Keith turned and made his way outside. His shoulders stiffened as the sounds of catcalls and wolf whistles finally hit him. Clearing his throat and trying to subtly wipe his mouth, Shiro turned around and decided to face them sooner rather than later. 

Matt grinned as he approached and opened his mouth to say something but Shiro reached out before he got more than a word out, cupping the entire bottom half of Matt’s face in his large hand. 

“I’m gonna let go,” Shiro started patiently, as though he were speaking to an unruly toddler or dog. “And when I do, you’re not gonna be a little shit. Okay?” 

Matt nodded, but his eyes still sparkled with mischief. 

“You will absolutely fit in the trunk of Romelle’s Prius, just so we’re clear,” Shiro threatened as he slowly released Matt’s face. 

“I was just going to say, you guys are very cute and I’m sorry Keith apparently isn’t big on PDA.” 

Shiro frowned skeptically at Matt’s feigned innocence but decided not to egg him on. Ryan tapped him on the shoulder and Shiro turned, releasing Matt from his scrutiny. 

“You should probably go check on him, man,” Ryan suggested quietly. “He looked pretty shook up. I’ll make sure nobody else is an asshole when you come back in.” 

Shiro sighed and nodded, clapping Ryan on the back in gratitude and heading out to find Keith. 

The air was crisp but not cold thanks to the heavy tuxedo and all the layers it entailed. The fairy lights were twinkling on the railings like the stars overhead just barely visible in the dying light and Shiro felt his breath catch in his throat as he saw Keith leaning against the side of the dock, staring up at the nearly full moon as it bathed him in its glow. 

Shiro’s heart began to pound so hard he was sure Keith could hear it, but endeavored to check on his clearly distraught friend in spite of it. 

“Hey,” he murmured as he approached, putting a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Sorry about that, I just got a little carried away.” 

Keith didn’t look away from the sky or react at all to Shiro’s presence. 

“Keith?” Shiro tried again, squeezing lightly. 

Panic began to swirl in his gut as Keith sighed and slowly lowered his head to look at Shiro. It wasn’t often that he had no idea what was going on in Keith’s head, and the feeling sat very poorly in his chest. 

“I really screwed up,” Keith said, voice shaking. 

Shiro huffed out a nervous chuckle. “Funny, I was about to say the same thing.” 

“Right…” Keith trailed off, letting his eyes sink down to the ground. 

Something shifted in the air between them and Shiro got the unfortunate sinking sensation that if he failed to act right at that moment, the opportunity would pass him by and he’d regret it forever. Alcohol still thrummed in his veins, dulling his normally sharp mind. 

The music was muted, but he could still hear it softly wafting in through the cracked windows and closed doors. An idea struck him as his brain frantically tried to think of something _anything_ to say. 

“Keith, will you dance with me?” 

Keith’s head snapped up and stared at Shiro with furrowed brows. He licked his lips and looked as though he wanted to say something, but instead he just nodded and stepped closer to Shiro. 

Shiro took Keith’s hand and put an arm around his waist, coaxing him into the proper position. They swayed quietly together for a few minutes, not speaking for the rest of the song. When it ended, neither of them let go or tried to move away. 

“I like dancing with you,” Keith said softly. 

Shiro felt the weight of the heavens fall off of his shoulders. “I like dancing with you, too.” 

The next song started but neither of them moved. 

“Liked kissing you, too.” 

Shiro stiffened and felt his heart skip a beat at the quiet confession. “Yeah?” He asked breathlessly. 

Keith smiled that familiar soft smile, the one he only ever gave Shiro. “Can I kiss you? For real?”

Shiro was stunned for a moment, but then his face blossomed into a grin. He nodded and bent his head down, meeting Keith halfway until their lips met again. 

Their first kiss had been electricity and fire, but their second was an epiphany. Shiro’s head swam as Keith’s mouth moved against his and their fingers rumpled each other’s fancy jackets. The sound of crickets chirping and the hauntingly beautiful melody wafting in on the breeze from seemingly lightyears away made the entire experience feel utterly surreal. 

No one was there to watch or goad or tease. It was just Shiro and Keith, together under the bright light of the moon. Right where they should be. 

They pulled apart and just stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment. Shiro had never noticed the flecks of violet swimming in the deep blue there before. A laugh bubbled up in his chest unbidden and he couldn’t force it down. Shiro’s laughter set Keith off and soon they were nearly hysterical, clutching at each other as they fought to calm down. 

Keith caught his breath first. “We should… we should probably talk about this… us…” he trailed off, waving a hand between them as Shiro wiped his eyes. 

“Yeah, probably.” He turned to look back through the window at the rest of the party happening inside. 

Keith followed his gaze. “I think Matt finally talked Lance into busting out the pong table. We could just talk about it tomorrow.” 

Shiro chuckled and reached down to lace their fingers together. Keith squeezed his hand and smiled up at him. 

Shiro cleared his throat and looked at Keith as seriously as he could manage. “Keith, will you go wreck some nerds at beer pong with me?” 

Keith barked out a sharp laugh and shook his head. “I’d love to.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Link to Nasi's amazing art here: [On Twitter](https://twitter.com/nasigorengart/status/1207808842660106241?s=20)


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